On January 30, 1926 with written order to us, we the judges delegated by his Eminence the Cardinal Archbishop of Naples, Msgr. Alessio Ascalesi, to institute the regular canonical process on the extraordinary event of the coloration, deemed as prodigious, of an artistic statue of the Famous Virgin and Martyr Saint Philomena made for venerating in the Sanctuary of the Cesarea in Naples. Having the Canonical Process been instructed of the miracle of the coloration of the face of the Statue of the Virgin and Martyr Saint Philomena, having always been present in all the sessions one or both of the faith Promoters the Most Ill and Most Rev. Canonics Don Gennaro and Don Carmine, in Curia legitimately constituted; and after having held the same Process, according to the canonical rules, we hereby declare, after having heard the same faith promoters, our opinion contained in the following verdict;
Considering that the mentioned coloration in all its artistic detail happened before the eyes of the artist, reluctant to admit a supernatural event, actually rather irritated, at first, about the undeniability of the coloration that had happened in a few moments;
Apart from this first witness providentially present at the phenomenon, a further eight witnesses have been cited and minutely questioned which had, among others, seen the first obstinately cadaveric colouring, and then the above-mentioned artistic coloration;
The evidence produced to show the non-existence of a natural process for that coloration, is varied and significant, as shown by the full debate; the instantaneity, for example, the preservation of the simulacrum in the primitive state with no human hand that could have touched it, the artistic inspection carried out on behalf of the artist by competent people with the hope to reproduce, if possible, with the same details the same phenomenon here verbally states that human resources could not have produced these changes;
Invited by our Most Reverend Curia Archiepiscopal, two skilled and sworn professors whom as judge delegates have carried out a survey in the Sanctuary of the Cesarea, in order to give their artistic-critical opinion on the phenomenon, these people without having any prejudices or exchanged their views between themselves, have reported in different papers and stated their personal judgement which -considering all circuмstances- confirms that it would be impossible to naturally reproduce such a phenomenon;
Finally,the course of this prodigious event in all its individual particulars reveals a special intention, the Illustrious Virgin and Martyr at first wanted only the artist as the witness of that instantaneous action, in which she donated the really incomparable grace of reconciliation to God, the artist and then she called many more witnesses to follow the event, as if giving to everyone the pledge for future graces.
We believe, declare and affirm in our orderly delegated Authority to be truly witnessing a supernatural event and therefore a proper miracle operated by her”.
Naples, 27 August 1926
In faith, we undersign
Card. A. Ascalesi, Archbishop
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Topic: Saint Philomena (Read 8051 times)